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Cliniq Flo covers everything in this guide — ABDM, GST billing, OPD management, lab, pharmacy. Book a free 30-minute demo.
What Is ABDM and Why Does It Matter for Your Clinic?
The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is India's national health digitisation initiative, launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Its goal: create a unified digital health ecosystem where every Indian has a health ID, every clinic is registered, and health records can be securely shared across providers — with patient consent.
For clinic owners and doctors, ABDM is no longer optional. Government empanelments, TPA tie-ups, and PMJAY participation increasingly require HFR registration. Urban patients expect digital prescriptions and ABHA-linked records. The direction of travel is clear.
The 3 Pillars of ABDM Every Clinic Must Know
Step-by-Step: How to Register Your Clinic on HFR
How to Create ABHA IDs for Patients at Your Clinic
With ABDM-integrated software, creating an ABHA ID at patient registration takes under 30 seconds.
- At registration, collect patient's Aadhaar number or mobile number
- Software sends OTP to their registered mobile — patient enters it
- ABHA ID is auto-generated and linked to the patient record
- Future visits use the same ABHA ID — QR scan for instant lookup
Sharing Digital Health Records Under ABDM
ABDM uses the Health Information Exchange (HIE-CM) framework. As a clinic you can:
- Push prescriptions, lab reports, and visit summaries to a patient's ABHA-linked PHR
- Request health records from other providers (with patient consent)
- Enable patients to share history with specialists during referrals — no paper files needed
Records are stored in the international FHIR R4 format, ensuring interoperability across all ABDM-certified platforms.
→ See how Cliniq Flo manages ABHA linking in OPDABDM Compliance Checklist for Your Clinic
- ✓Clinic registered on HFR — HFID received
- ✓All doctors registered on HPR
- ✓Clinic software is NHA-certified and ABDM-compliant
- ✓ABHA ID creation active at patient registration desk
- ✓Staff trained on ABHA consent collection process
- ✓Digital prescriptions being pushed to patient PHR
- ✓Lab reports linked to ABHA IDs
The Real Cost of Non-Compliance
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ABDM registration free?
Yes, HFR registration is completely free of charge. There are no fees from the government at any step of the process.
How long does HFR registration take?
Most clinics are verified within 7–14 working days. Metro clinics with complete documentation often get verified in 5–7 days.
Does my software need to be ABDM-certified?
Yes. Software must be certified by NHA to create ABHA IDs and exchange records. Cliniq Flo is fully ABDM-certified and handles everything automatically.
Can I create ABHA IDs without software — manually?
Yes, via the ABHA web portal. But for a busy clinic, manual creation per patient is impractical. Integrated software brings it down to 30 seconds.
What if my patient doesn't have Aadhaar?
ABHA IDs can also be created using a driving licence or other government IDs. Aadhaar is preferred but not the only option.
Related guides: Patient Data Privacy & DISHA → | Choosing the Right Clinic Software →
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